Keeping the Home by Lori Seaborg

Friday, October 26, 2007

Nature Study

Nature study is definitely my favorite subject in our little school, and all four kids really enjoy it now, too. At first, one was timid about drawing, but I told him that there is no right or wrong in art -- we are the only ones with our eyes, after all, and nobody can say we didn't see the object the way we drew it -- and I told him that nobody has to ever see his work if he doesn't want to show it. A year of drawing later, and he's one of our most enthusiastic.

We make a point of going outside on Fridays and nature journaling after we read a selection from Anna Comstocks' Handbook of Nature Study. Sometimes we draw in our own backyard or take a little jaunt to Weeks Bay or another nature trail. If we must, we just look out the window if the weather is poor.

Here is a great link to help you learn more about nature study and nature journaling: http://highland.hitcho.com.au/naturejournal.htm

Our children use drawing pads you can get from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. We don't take our art out of these books to put it into notebooks like we would other subjects. It's left intact.

We have an assortment of colored pencils, pencils, watercolors, acrylics, brushes, etc. Hobby Lobby has great portable paint sets. I've just collected things over time. When we go out, we grab our sketch pads and the bag that holds those items. And a water bottle for our water supply. That's it!

I think that website above will get you started. It has great links to other sites, too. I find that looking at other artist's sketch pads (online) is great inspiration. My husband even picks up a pad and some paints when he sees us doing nature journaling. It's rather contagious!

by Lori Seaborg 2007